Inspirational women

We’re delivering another large dollop of business inspiration this month, because that’s what we do best!

You’ll notice there’s a particular emphasis on women entrepreneurs – not just because we’ve noticed their rise in prominence in recent times, but because there’s a certain honesty, openness and transparency in their stories that we can all learn from. Not to mention inspiration!

Another common thread in their stories is the strong connection with their clients. The desire to determine exactly what their client’s needs are; and work to satisfy those needs.

I particularly like Bron Thomson’s thinking in this month’s cover story, where she refers to customer connections, saying “I’d rather be honest and know clients absolutely trust that my motivation is to help them, not to make money from them.”

That’s commendable. It’s also a major reason why her company Springload is so successful.

There’s a lot you can take away from Bron’s story. She admits to being a perfectionist, and to having a real desire to do good in the world – with technology being her weapon of choice.

Just by talking to her over the phone, I could sense her passion for being a responsible global citizen, and making a real difference. That’s something we should all aspire to, even if it’s just in some small way.

Linked up with Bron’s story is our listing of women IT entrepreneurs to watch going forward into 2017. I should point out that there’s absolutely no science behind the compilation of this list, it’s merely there to highlight the calibre of female entrepreneurship that exists in this country. It’s based on just the IT sector and by no means covers the country, but I think it speaks volumes about the increasing impact women are having on New Zealand’s business community.

I’ve also recently had the pleasure of co-judging the 2016 David Awards, and the high standard of female entrepreneurship was again in evidence throughout this year’s entries. Incidentally, you will find this year’s winners posted at www.thedavidawards.co.nz Have a productive month everyone!